The investigation into a bombing targeting a Ukrainian oligarch in Monaco has taken a disturbing turn, as court proceedings in Kyiv revealed potential ties between the victim’s alleged killer and Ukraine’s intelligence services. French authorities recently identified 39-year-old Anastasia Berezovska as the individual captured on CCTV planting an explosive device outside a Monaco apartment block. The blast occurred as Ukrainian businessman Vadym Iermolaiev, 58, was exiting the building alongside his partner and their 13-year-old child.
Prosecutors stated that Berezovska, who had disguised herself as a man, fled the scene in a car with German plates, traveling through France and Italy before returning to her hometown of Zhytomyr, Ukraine, on July 1. Her body was discovered shortly thereafter in a forest near the capital. According to Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency, Berezovska was met by two men who had previously sent her payments via bank and crypto accounts. One of these men, 33-year-old Vladyslav Reut, appeared in court on Thursday accused of her murder. Reut, who reportedly studied law and worked for the GUR military intelligence agency in unit A2772, identified his alleged accomplice as Vitaliy Zhykovych, a former police officer from the Kyiv region.
During his court appearance, Reut claimed that Zhykovych was the one who carried out the execution, shooting Berezovska twice in the back of the head in a forest near the village of Yuriv. Reut alleged that he was forced to dig a grave for the victim at gunpoint and requested a polygraph test to prove his innocence. Zhykovych’s attorney, Anatoliy Ivanov, has denied the allegations. The SBU confirmed they recovered bullet casings from the site and discovered evidence of a “torture chamber” in Zhykovych’s home, though investigators later clarified that Berezovska had not been tortured prior to her death.
The incident has caused significant embarrassment for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with French President Emmanuel Macron urging a thorough investigation. While officials maintain the two suspects acted alone, the reported involvement of GUR personnel has led to speculation about internal rivalries between the SBU and the military intelligence agency. Investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach noted that the situation requires high-level accountability. Zelenskyy, responding to inquiries, stated he expects further reports on the matter soon.
The motive behind the Monaco bombing remains a subject of debate. While the SBU previously sanctioned Iermolaiev over alleged financial ties to Russia—charges he denies—some sources suggest the attack was a criminal dispute over protection money. Meanwhile, questions persist regarding how Berezovska re-entered Ukraine without being flagged by border authorities. The Ukrainian state border service stated she entered legally on July 1, as no international warrants were active in their databases at the time. Parliamentary deputy Oleksandr Merezhko expressed concern over the incident’s impact on Ukraine’s reputation but noted the speed of the arrests as a sign of effective law enforcement.
In 2023, Ukraine imposed personal sanctions on Iermolaiev, one of Ukraine’s richest citizens, with a fortune estimated by Forbes at $220m (£164m).
Iermolaiev’s son, Artur, was accused of creating a criminal organisation engaged in telephone fraud in his father’s home city of Dnipro. According to Estonian investigators, Artur and three other defendants set up fraudulent call centres. He received a suspended sentence, paid €8.5m (£7.2m) and left Estonia shortly afterwards.
